A copywright issue. May I photograph church windows, change them into my own dig

Question:

A copywright issue. May I photograph church windows, change them into my own digital artwork and sell?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Yes, you can. A photograph is considered an original work of art and, as such, it's immediately copyright by the person who took it. You can, but don't necessarily have to, file for a copyright of the image with the copyright office. This is used generally for dispute resolution. If your image became famous and someone else claimed they'd taken it you'd be able to show the papers from the copyright office showing that you filed for the copyright and when you did it.

The church, being a public building, can be photographed at any time. If it were a private home you'd probably have to get permission but a church should be fine. You might want to ask just to be nice though. If you photograph any people you'll need a model release form for them to sign stating that you can use their image and sell it. Obviously though, photographing a person is different than photographing a building and selling the images.

Good luck!